Cora Lewis Photo
(Updated 1:48 p.m. with Russell comment.) Queue up yet another special election: Angela Russell has resigned from the Board of Alders.
Russell (pictured) represents Ward 27, a ward designed in the style of the Cubists, encompassing shards of Beaver Hills, West Hills, Westville, Beverly Hills, and Amity.
The resignation took effect Monday. A special election for the seat has been scheduled for May 22.
In a letter to Board President Jorge Perez, Russell did not give specific reasons for her resignation. “After carefully and prayerfully lamenting over my role and responsibility as an alder, I believe that I can be most effective in New Haven’s political process as a citizen speaking out on issues,” she wrote. “I do expect to stay actively involved in the future, however this time as a concerned, interested member of the community.”
Russell, who was part of a labor-backed slate of candidates who won control of the Board of Alders (then called the “Board of Aldermen”) in the 2011 elections, was beginning her second two-year term at the time of her resignation.
“There’s not one specific thing that led to this,” Russell told the Independent. It all boils down to: I can more effective as an resident when it comes to public safety and public schools.” She concluded she had been more effective as a citizen activist than as an alder.
As part of a political group like the Board of Alders, “you always have to be careful what you say, because it’s always misunderstood no matter what,” Russell said.
Her resignation follows that of the following other alders already this year: Ward 7’s Doug Hausladen, Ward 3’s Jackie James, Ward 16’s Migdalia Castro. The three alders all left to take jobs with the new Harp Administraiton.
<i>Russell (pictured) represents Ward 27, a ward designed in the style of the Cubists, encompassing shards of Beaver Hills, West Hills, Westville, Beverly Hills, and Amity.</i>
Sure its an odd shape, but a simple way to understand Ward 27 is that it follows the shape of the West River and the Upper Whalley corridor (between Harrison and Ramsdell). It's less concerned with the neighborhoods that surround that corridor which have their own representatives. So, this is an important seat for the businesses down that way.
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/aldermen/PDFs/WardMap_27.pdf